Flexible joint.



PATENTE!) AUG. 2, 1904.

H. AUSTIN.

FLEXIBLE JOINT.

APPLIoATIon rum) JULY a4. 190s.

N0 MODEL.

f@ veiaif ww Z7 f WZaZeJ/Mef( fg/Z? @A C UNTTED STATES Patented August2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.'

FLEXIBLE JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,658, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed July 24, 1903. Serial No. 166,818. (No model.)

To all wir/0712, it may 0mm/77m Be it known that I, HERBERT AUSTIN, asubject of the King of Great Britain, now residing at St. Annes, SuttonRoad, Erdington, in the county of Tarwicl England, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Flexible Joints, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has reference to power-transmitting mechanism for drivingon the lVolscley system machines for cutting' or shearing hair or wool.ln this system as usually heretofore practiced power is transmitted to acutting or shearing machine from an overhead shaft through a verticalflexible shaft and from this latter shaft to a sidewayshaft which may beturned at any desired angle therewith, and the forward end of thesideway shaft is geared with the machine-spindle. The vertical flexibleshaft is usually of catgut and passes down a case or sleeve which isitself flexible, beingl usually of canvas or rubber and canvassurroundingaspiral of wire. The vertical flexible shaft is connected atits upper end with a spindle which passes down from a bevel-pinion whichis driven from a wheel on the overhead shaft, and the upper end of theflexible sleeve is connected with a downward projection from a bracketwhich carries the spindle and bevel-pinion aforesaid and whichprojection surrounds the spindle. On the lower end of the sleeve isfastened a length of metal case which carries a short spindle, to whichthe lower end of the flexible shaft is connected, and this spindlecarries at its lower end a kind of crownwheel, which gears with acorresponding wheel on the sideway shaft. The lower end of the case isformed with one portion of a hinged joint, of which the other portion`is formed on the inner end of a case within which the sideway shaft ismounted.

The flexible shaft and sleeve above described allow `the cutting orshearing machine to be moved about by hand as required; but it is foundin practice that owing to the swing' or momentum of the sleeve andflexible shaft the machine is liable to be carried beyond the positionin which at some particular moment it is required, with the result thatthe animal which is being operated upon is injured or the staple of thehair or wool which is being cut or sheared becomes damaged.

Now this invention has for its object a novel or improved ljoint throughthe medium of which a rigid casing or sleeve instead of a flexiblesleeve is connected with the bracket aforesaid, which will insuresufficient elastic resistance against an outward movement of the lowerend of the vertical shaft to counteract, or largely so, the swing` ormomentum of the casing and shaft, and thus obviate or minimize theinconvenience above referred to.

Broadly described, the joint aforesaid comprises an upper portion whichis adapted to be securely lixed to the bracket aforesaid, a lowerportion which is rigid with the casing and is capable of being moved tobring its axis anglewise with that of the upper portion, and a springwhich is normally under a tension in excess of that due merely to theweight of the parts and which is stretched or opened out under stillgreater tension Vat one side when the lower portion of the joint ismoved in relation to the upper portion, and a very important feature ofthe invention consists of means which insure that if the lower portionof the joint is turned anglewise to the upper in any direction it willturn against the upper portion as a fulcrum at a point some distancefrom the axis of the shaft, whereby there is always a very definitetendency for the case surrounding the flexible shaft to return to avertical position and to be maintained in such position.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will describea convenient practical application of the same by reference to thedrawings herewith, of which- Figure l is an elevation of a completeapparatus used in transmitting motion from an overhead shaft to thesideway shaft, at the outer end of which the shearing or cutting machineis connected, this sideway shaft being broken oflI for convenience ofillustration. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, to an enlarged scale,of theflexible joint constructed according to this invention, showing it asconnected 100 at its upper end with the downward projection from thebracket and as connected at its lower end with the upper end of themetal casing which surrounds the iexible shaft; and Fig. 3 is a viewcorresponding to Fig. 2, but showing the casing and the lower portion ofthe joint moved at an angle with the Vertical axis of the upper portionof the joint.

The general form of the apparatus shown by Fig. l is now well known, anda very short description thereof will therefore sufice.

A is the overhead shaft.

a is the usual bevel friction-wheel upon the shaftA.

7) is the usual bevel friction-pinion, having a spindle c, Fig. 2, whichpasses through a bearing (l and down a cylindrical projection e from theunder side of the bracket. The flexible shaft f, Fig. 2, which isusually formed of catgut, has 'fastened' on the upper end thereof acylindrical metallic ferrule g, Fig. 2, which makes a bayonet-joint withthe lower end of the spindle c in the usual manner. The flexible shaft fis connected at its lower end with a short metallic spindle, whichcarries at its lower end a toothed wheel /L of the construction wellknown with this type of mechanism, and this wheel gears, as is usual,with a similar wheel L/ on the end of a sideway shaft carriedV within acase c', which is pivoted to the lower end of the case k, whichsurrounds the shaft j'. The bracket CZ is capable of sliding within afixed bracket B to move the pinion b away from and against thebevel-wheel a, and the sliding is accomplished by means of a tumbler-armC, operated from a handle D through the medium of the usual mechanism.

The joint is formed according to this invention with an upper part E,adapted to be fixed to the downward projection e from the bracket, andwith a lower part F, which is adapted for rigid connection with theupper end of a rigid tube lc, which surrounds and forms a casing for theiexible shaft f in lieu of the flexible sleeve usually employed. Theupper part E is formed with a tube p, which is of a diameter to allow itto be slid up over the part e of the bracket. The upper end of the tubep is split at one side, and the opposite sides of the split are formedwith ears, of which one, m, is shown, and a pin a is passed through thepair of ears and used for clamping the tube around the part e. This tubep corresponds to the metallic tube by which .the ordinary flexible casehas been connected with the part e of the bracket. On the lower end ofthe tube j? is formed or fixed a socket q, which is open at its lowerend. is formed as a socket r, which is fixed on the upper end of therigid metal casing 7c, which surrounds the flexible shaft f. The twosockets are connected together by means of a strong spiral spring G,which is inserted as to the upper half thereof within the socket g Thelower part F of the joint and as to the lower half thereof within thesocket fr and the ends secured to the inner ends of the sockets,respectively, the tightening up of the spring ends within the socketscausing the spring to be distended suiiiciently to put it inconsiderable tension. It is preferred kto iix the ends of the springwithin the sockets by forming at the inner end of each socket aspiralgroove t, which screws upon the spiral of the spring as a nut upon abolt. The spiral groove of each socket may be carried therearound forabout half the depth of the socket from the inner end thereof, as shown,and the length of the spring before it is distended is such that beforethe sockets have both been fully screwed up thereon the open ends of thesockets abut against one another, and the subsequent tightening up ofthe sockets upon the ends ofthe spring consequently causes the middleportion of the spring-that is to say, the portion Ythereof' which isbetween the spirally-grooved portions of the socketato stretch or openbetween the coils, and thus to be under tension. The tension of thespring insures that normally the upper edge of the lower socket will bepressed around its entire circuit with considerable force against thelower edge of the upper socket, and thus when the lower socket is turnedanglewise to the upper socket it turns on its edge against the edge ofthe up? per socket as a fulcrum, which insures that when released thelower socket will return to a position in which its axis is again inline with that of the upper socket and will be maintained in suchposition.

It will be apparent that as the cutting or shearing machineis moved in amanner which carries the rigid case out of its vertical position thespring, being already in considerable tension, is put under furthertension by the opening out of the coils on the side opposite to thatfrom which the pull at the lower end of the casing is exerted, and thustends to vcounteract the swing or momentum of the casing and flexibleshaft.

The relative endwise movement between the fiexible shaft fand casing isprovided for in the manner adapted with vthe shaft and sleeve heretoforeemployed.

It is preferred to form the upper end or mouth of the socket r with acup-shaped rim s, which when the axes of the two sockets coincidecompletely surrounds the lower edge of the socket g, and it is alsopreferred to carry the tube p of the upper portion of the joint downthrough the socket thereofas shown, leaving, an annular space atherearound between itself andthe interior of the socket for thereception of the upper portion of the spring, and to form the lowersocket with an interior tube the bore of which is flared or bell-mouthedat its upper end, as shown. The cup-shaped rim s of the lower socketinsures thatl any oil running down the outside of the lOO upper portionof the joint will run down inside the lower portion, and any oilrunning' down inside the tube ot' the Lipper' portion of the joint willdrop into the flared upper end of the tube and run down inside suchtube. The main purpose ot' the cup-shaped rim .5' is to prevent thelower socket slipping' in relation to the upper socket and preventing'the sockets coming' properly into line when the lower socket is releasedafter being' turned anglewise to the upper socket, and if the cupshapedrim were required for this purpose only it might of com'se be formedwith either the lower or upper socket. As a further precaution againstthe lower socket slipping' in relation to the upper a projection fu isformed around the inner edg'e of the bottom or inner end of thecup-shaped rim, which when the axes of' the sockets are in line iscompletely surrounded by the edge ot' the plain-ended socket.

It will be noted that in the construction described the two parts ormembers E and F of the joint are not in any way coupled or connecteddirectly together, but simply abut end to end, being' drawn together bythe normal tension ot the spring', which must be, as stated above,considerablyv more than that due to the weig'ht ot' the suspended parts,also that the said mem bers have in them annular sockets to receive thespring', whereby the spring' has a tubular part of the member ineasingit and also a tubular part, as inside of it and interposed between thespring' and the flexible shaft j'.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-u 1. A tlexible joint,having two hollow members abutting' normally end to end, and a spring'within the hollows of' said members, said spring' connecting' them anddrawing' them together, the spring being' normally Linder' considerabletension above that put upon it by the weig'ht of the parts.

2. A flexible joint, having' two hollow members abutting' normally endto end and provided with means which prevent the abutting ends fromslipping' laterally the one on the other, and a spring' within thehollows of said members, said spring' connecting and drawing the memberstogether by its normal tension.

3. A flexible joint, having' two members which abut normally end to endand have in each an axial bore and an annular socket exterior to saidbore, and a coil-spring` occupying the annular sockets in the membersand secured at its respective ends to the members, said spring being'under considerable tension when the members are alined and therebyconnecting' and drawing' them tog'ether.

4. A flexible joint, having' two hollow members which abut normally endto end, one ot' said members having' an annular recess at its abutting'end to receive the end o't' the other member, and a spiral spring'within the hollows of the said members and secured to them at itsrespective ends, said spring' being' under tension when the members areabutting' and alined, and serving' to draw the members yielding'lytogether.

5. A flexible joint, having' two hollow members which abut normally endto end, one of' said members having' at its abutting' end an annularrecess to receive the abutting' end of the other member, said recessbeing' 'formed by a cup-shaped rim s and an annular projection o, and aspiral spring' in the hollows of the said members and connecting' themyielding'ly tog'ether, said spring' being' under tension when the twomembers are abutting' and alined.

6. A exible joint, having' two members, each with an axial bore and anannular socket exterior to said bore, the lower socket having' at itsupper end a cupshaped rim in which bears normally the lower end of theupper member, and a spiral spring' occupying' the annular sockets oflthe members and secured at its respective ends thereto, said spring'being' under tension when the members are alined and abutting', andserving' to draw the latter yielding'ly tog'ether.

7. A flexible joint, having` two members which abut, normally, or whenalined, end to end, said members being provided each with an annularspring-socket, an axial bore, and an interior tube between said bore andsocket, said tube in the lower member being' flared, and a spiral springoccupying' said sockets and secured at its ends to the respectivemembers and connecting' them together, said spring' being' under tensionwhen the two members are abutting and alined, thus drawing' themyielding'ly tog'ether.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this th day ot' July,1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT AUSTIN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR V. BLAKuMoRE, ROBERT G. GRovEs.

IOO

